Stiffness Nonlinearity of Three Sands

Abstract

This paper presents the results of 254 drained triaxial compression tests. The results are analyzed with the aim of obtaining a phenomenological description of secant Young's modulus variation according to different test conditions. Using empirical fitting equations, the influences of different factors such as axial strain, vertical consolidation stress, consolidation stress ratio, and stress history on the secant Young's modulus under axisymmetric (triaxial) loading conditions at small and intermediate axial strains are singled out and presented. The main purpose of this paper is to identify the factors affecting the nonlinear secant stiffness of sand and to quantify their relevance at different levels of strain.